Environment
Binman ‘check with council’ alert for everyday item that 'should never be recycled'
Binman ‘check with council’ alert for everyday item that 'should never be recycled' Households have been warned to check local recycling rules before throwing away a common shopping essential Plastic carrier bags are easy to accumulate, whether they come from a supermarket, corner shop or another high street retailer. But a waste collection expert has issued a reminder that putting them in the wrong household bin can cause confusion, and the correct option depends on local rules. The No1...
Emergency services respond to ‘serious incident’ at UK zoo’s tiger enclosure
Emergency services respond to ‘serious incident’ at UK zoo’s tiger enclosure Yorkshire Wildlife Park confirmed a ‘serious incident’ occurred at the enclosure on Saturday - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Emergency services are responding to a “serious incident” at a tiger enclosure at a British zoo. Yorkshire Wildlife Park closed its doors on Saturday as it worked with authorities to “to ascertain exactly what...
Breaking: High Court rules in favour of climate in Hunter Valley coal mine case
High Court rules in favour of climate group in Hunter Valley coal mine case By climate reporter Charlotte King Posted A landmark ruling in the High Court has found planning authorities are required to consider local climate change effects when approving fossil fuel projects. Three of the five judges found in favour of a Hunter Valley residents' group, which halted the Mount Pleasant mine expansion last year in the New South Wales Court of Appeal. The High Court has agreed with that judgement...
Bangkok at breaking point as floods turn streets into stagnant lakes
With 40 dead and a disaster declared across all 50 city districts, experts warn extreme flooding will only worsen across south-east AsiaBangkok is used to absorbing the sudden afternoon downpours that inundate the city during the rainy season. Even streets in many central high-rise districts can briefly turn into rivers, with rats and cockroaches racing out of sewers and taking temporary refuge on trees and buildings as the subterranean world is flushed out. But every city has a breaking...
Dad fined £170 after breaking strict rule on M&S visit as parking firm responds
Dad fined £170 after breaking strict rule on M&S visit as parking firm responds Stockport dad Tim Coates says a Marks & Spencer trip at the Peel Centre ended with a £170 Ocean Parking charge after one tyre was left on a white line. A dad says a trip to Marks & Spencer ended up costing him £170 after he was fined for parking with one tyre just “millimetres” over a white line.
The world’s rivers are at breaking point. Can we save them before it is too late?
In this week’s newsletter: As the Guardian launches a year-long project, Our Rivers, we take stock of the issues facing waterways around the worldDon’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereThe nicknames of the world’s biggest rivers give a sense of how we feel about them: “the great river”, “the river that swallows all rivers”, “Mother Ganga” and “Old father Thames”. They feed and water us, and many other animal species.
‘We’re near a breaking point:’ firefighters say US government is failing them amid intense wildfire season
US grapples with federal firefighter shortage as crews say they’re spread thin and lack resources during unrelenting year of fireFirefighters battling enormous wildfires in the United States say the federal government is failing them at a time when supercharged blazes have made their jobs exponentially more dangerous. While the US continues to grapple with a critical shortage of federal firefighters – with especially large gaps in essential management positions – the Trump administration has...
Europe’s summer emergency was a dire warning for Australia. What can be learned before it’s too late? | Nick Rowley
Between 2000 and 2018, extreme heat caused more deaths in Australia than all our bushfires, floods, storms and cyclones combinedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBack in April 2004, in the shadow of the previous European summer, I started work at Downing Street advising the British prime minister on climate change. The 2003 heatwave had killed an estimated 70,000 people across Europe. Many were older people, in...
Scientists call for ‘emergency’ measures to save sea life from El Niño
Prominent scientists have called for “emergency” interventions to protect marine life as the strongest-ever El Niño heats the ocean to unprecedented levels, including removing endangered species from the water and experimenting with geoengineering. “We shouldn’t just cry into our beer about it. We should actually try and do things about it,” says Michael Meredith at the British Antarctic Survey, one of the authors of a journal article that is being sent to officials in the UK, the US and...
Malaysia lifts haze emergency in Sarawak, but warns pollution risks remain
Malaysia called off a haze emergency in Sarawak state on Borneo island on Monday but said very unhealthy levels of air pollution remained as a result of forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia. Sarawak has been heavily affected by fires in Indonesia’s Kalimantan, with the haze forcing school closures in some parts of the state. Kuala Lumpur on Friday activated the emergency after obtaining royal consent when pollution levels reached critical levels in Serian, about 65 kilometres (40 miles)...
Malaysia declares emergency in Sarawak as haze from Indonesia worsens
Malaysia declares emergency in Sarawak as haze from Indonesia worsens Country implements state of emergency in Sarawak’s Serian district after air pollution reaches ‘hazardous’ levels. Malaysia has declared a state of emergency in a district in Sarawak state after haze caused by wildfires in neighbouring Indonesia increased air pollution to “hazardous” levels. King Sultan Ibrahim “has consented to the declaration of emergency throughout Serian Division, Sarawak, following haze conditions...
South Korea, Japan discuss cooperation on emergency energy supply
South Korea, Japan discuss cooperation on emergency energy supply SEOUL, Sept 2 : South Korea and Japan held their first meeting on implementing a supply chain partnership in Tokyo, discussing ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, Seoul's Industry Ministry said on Wednesday. The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation on stable emergency supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil and petroleum products, and exchanged views on coordinating responses to carbon emissions and supply...
Four areas in Sarawak record 'hazardous' air quality; East Malaysian state prepares for possible haze emergency
Four areas in Sarawak record 'hazardous' air quality; East Malaysian state prepares for possible haze emergency Sarawak’s Serian district recorded the worst Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 475 at 9am on Monday (Aug 31). But moderate air quality in Putrajaya enabled Malaysia’s National Day celebration in the administrative capital to proceed as scheduled. Four areas in Sarawak recorded “hazardous” air quality on Monday (Aug 31), the second day running that Malaysia has hit such levels as...
Breaking: 'Psychological risk': Australian scientists to abandon remote island over bird flu fears
Australia to withdraw staff from Macquarie Island due to 'psychological risk' of bird flu In short: The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) plans to extract its staff from Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean amid concerns about the impact of bird flu. The island is currently free of the virus, but the AAD is concerned that expeditioners could be exposed to significant psychological risks in the event of mass wildlife deaths. Australia's icebreaker RSV Nuyina will sail to the island in...
Breaking: Humpback whale beached at Port Kennedy in Perth's south
Wildlife authorities respond after humpback whale beached in Perth's south Posted A humpback whale has become beached on a sand bank in shallow water at Port Kennedy in Perth's southern suburbs. The Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) staff are at the scene and liaising with vets to "determine the most appropriate course of action". Port Kennedy beach is closed, and members of the public are being asked to stay away from the area to avoid causing stress to the whale.
Activist seeks 'urgent' injunction to stop aerial brumby cull
Activist Carmen Jackson's application to stop an aerial cull was first heard by NSW Land and Environment Court at 1am today. Ms Jackson claims the pest control operation, targeting pigs, deer and brumbies in Yuraygir National Park, north of Coffs Harbour, is unlawful. In adjourning to 9am tomorrow, Justice Rachel Pepper said: "I would urge those submissions not be served at midnight or 1am."
Video shows young female pilot, 23, swimming off after surviving emergency water landing in Florida
A young Florida pilot was able to swim away from a dramatic water landing in the Atlantic Ocean off Boca Raton on Saturday in a video captured by a beachgoer. Faith Tenkley, 23, who has been a pilot for four years, maneuvered her family's twin-engine Piper around buildings as she approached the coast and avoided paddleboarders before finding an open stretch of water next to the beach, she told Gulf Coast News. The plane made a smooth water landing at about 9:40 a.m. local time.
Calls for urgent law change as UK’s largest water reuse system cannot be switched on
Recycling system in Cambridgeshire that could save thousands of litres a day is deemed not in line with rulesThe largest water reuse system in the UK, which could save thousands of litres of water a day for people living in one of the driest regions of the country, is not allowed to be switched on because of drinking water regulations. As water supplies in England reach critical levels, the Guardian can reveal that a model water recycling system within an urban housing development in...
Record-breaking investment in renewables could cement Canada as new clean energy superpower
The slated green energy plans could light, heat and cool all the homes in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver combined. Canadian officials have announced plans for "the largest clean energy investment in North American history." A total of CAN$70 billion (€43.6 billion) is earmarked to massively enhance wind and hydropower generation in the eastern part of the country.
Breaking: Tasmania confirms first case of deadly bird flu strain H5N1
Tasmania has confirmed its first case of the deadly H5N1 bird flu that has impacted wildlife across five other Australian states. Following testing which was completed overnight, a brown skua was confirmed to have had the virus. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) said it was alerted to the carcass of the bird by staff from the Parks and Wildlife Service, who have been undertaking active surveillance of coastal areas.
Solar eclipse eye damage urgent warning as expert lists symptoms to look out for
Solar eclipse eye damage urgent warning as expert lists symptoms to look out for The solar eclipse was a spectacular event, but eye health experts warn of a genuine risk of solar retinopathy for those who looked directly at it without protection Thousands of skygazers across the UK and the world have been treated to a breathtaking solar eclipse, with eye health specialists urging people to watch the spectacle through certified protective eyewear. The Moon passed directly between the Earth...
Live Updates: In Europe, the Total Solar Eclipse Is Only Hours Away
From Iceland to Spain, people have flocked to places where, briefly, the moon will completely block the sun.
El Niño could unleash ocean heat that sends 2026 into record-breaking territory
This summer's heat is human caused, not from El Niño – but the climate phenomenon is set to release pent-up ocean heat. Wildfires are burning in North America and Europe. Deadly heatwaves are suffocating cities and the world's oceans are the hottest ever recorded for this time of year.
Suffolk wildfire: National Trust launches emergency appeal to restore Dunwich Heath
Suffolk wildfire: National Trust launches emergency appeal to restore Dunwich Heath The National Trust has launched an emergency fundraising drive after a wildfire ripped through Dunwich Heath leaving the landscape "unrecognisable" and causing total devastation Firefighters are still battling a blaze that has caused "total devastation" to heathland in Suffolk, with the National Trust launching a public appeal to restore the beloved reserve. The charity has kicked off an emergency fundraising...
Breaking: Search for missing baby boy continues off SA coast
Search for missing baby boy continues off South Australia's South East coast Posted Tue 28 Jul 2026 at 12:20pm , updatedTue 28 Jul 2026 at 12:25pm Police have confirmed a child they are looking for in a major search operation off South Australia's coast is "about" two months old. The bodies of the boy's mother and sibling were found floating in the ocean yesterday, after authorities were called to Cape Northumberland, about 400 kilometres south-east of Adelaide.
Hurricane Isaias live updates: hundreds of thousands without power as storm batters US Gulf Coast
First Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season makes landfall in the USFull story: Hurricane Isaias hammers Gulf coastSign up for the US Breaking News emailWe have a statement from the Alabama governor, Kay Ivey:Right now, we are worried about strong winds, heavy rain and possible spinoff tornadoes in certain parts of the state. As we approach the weekend and any travel plans, make sure you have reliable information as conditions develop.
Malaysia declares emergency in Sarawak town as haze pollution level hits 521
Malaysia declared an emergency on Friday in a town in Sarawak state on Borneo Island after air pollution breached the country’s emergency-level threshold linked to fires in neighbouring Indonesia. The Air Pollutant Index in Serian, a small agricultural town of just under 90,000 near the border of Indonesia’s Kalimantan province, surged to 521 on Friday, according to Malaysia’s environment department. Sarawak’s much larger capital, Kuching, also showed a hazardous reading of 311.
Danube falls too low for nuclear cooling, Romania declares energy alert
Romania has placed its energy sector under a nationwide 30-day state of alert after the Danube river levels fell to exceptionally low levels. This has forced Unit 1 at the Cernavodă nuclear plant offline and put Unit 2 under continuous review. Emergency river works have kept Unit 2 online for now, but the latest hydrological outlook says levels around the plant may keep falling through Aug. 16.
Total solar eclipse Aug. 12, 2026 live updates — 1 week to go
Total solar eclipse Aug. 12, 2026 live updates — 1 week to go Follow our live coverage of the total solar eclipse 2026 as we count down to eclipse day with the latest news, expert insight and updates before bringing you live reports from Greenland and Spain. On Aug. 12, 2026, Europe will experience its first total solar eclipse since 1999, as the moon's shadow sweeps across Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain and the Balearic Islands. Along the narrow path of totality, day will briefly turn...
Record-breaking levels of plastic found in seabirds, with almost 900 pieces found in one bird alone
For more than a decade, it was thought that the world's most plastic-polluted birds couldn't get any more contaminated by the man-made material. But then, from 2023–2026, the record was broken every single year.